Friday, April 26, 2019

Day 3 Tribeca 2019: 'Goldie' and 'Standing Up, Falling Down': Goldie and Scott are Having a Youth and Young Adult Life Crisis, Respectively

Goldie (Slick Woods) rocking the outfit that is her way out in "Goldie."

BY VW

TWO
young people at two different points of adulthood trying to make their way in a complicated and difficult world.

These are the protagonists of two films making their North American and world premieres at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, including screenings today.

In Sam de Jong's "Goldie," future supermodel Slick Woods in a breakout film debut, is the title character. An 18-year-old forced to take some frightening steps into adulthood.

On Goldie's young shoulders is far too much of the weight of the world, the very least of which is a minor role in a massively minor video as a vixen wearing a canary yellow fur that she believes is her ticket out. No teenager should have this kind of massive struggle for survival. No teenager should be responsible for the welfare of younger siblings. No teenager should have to hustle the way Goldie does. Yet circumstances and a fierce love force many to do so.

To the extend that Woods' portrayal seems natural, she had some similar struggles to those of the character she portrays. As the saying goes, the struggle is real.

And so it is, too, for Scott (Ben Schwartz) in "Standing Up, Falling Down" from Matt Ratner. He left his sleepy Long Island town to make it as a comic in Los Angeles. Except that he didn't. At least not in any economically sustainable fashion. So ... at thirty-something, he's back home living in his parents house trying to figure out next steps.

The films feature strong leads and a supporting cast. In the case of "Goldie," some real-life people. Meanwhile, Billy Crystal offers outstanding support in "Standing Up, Falling Down," one of his strongest roles since he last hosted the Academy Awards. He is a dermatologist whom Scott befriends. His Marty is also having his own existential crisis and offers Scott some advice that may moor the younger man.

Though Goldie and Scott are experiencing coming-of-age crises, they come to them from vastly different places. The former is the product of a loving, unstable, homeless, shelter-based underclass urban family, while the latter springs from loving, stable, working-class suburban stock with a mortgage. Further, Goldie's parents are absent and Scott's are present. Indeed, they are supportive. And ever ready with doses of reality, particularly Scott's father. It's tempting to wonder how they would fare if their circumstances were reversed.

Troubled souls Scott (Ben Schwartz) and Marty (Billy Crystal) in are fast friends in "Standing Up, Falling Down."

SW in "Goldie" and BS in "Standing Up, Falling Down" are utterly engaging and authentic. Their respective performances have the power to inspire viewers to stop, critically think and examine their lives.

Neither film offers a happy ending with a cherry on top. However, they end on a palpably hopeful note.

Some other titles screening today: "Aamis" VIRTUAL ARCADE, Tribeca CINEMA360 "American Factory" "Blow the Man Down" "Burning Cane" "Children Do Not Play at War" "Cinema 360" "Come to Daddy" "Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice" "Mystify: Michael Hutchence" "Queen Latifah With Dee Rees With the Premiere of the Queen Collective Shorts" "Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project" "Roads" "Scheme Birds" "Shorts: WTF" and "Traitor"

Visit http://www.tribecafilm.com/festival to learn more about the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, including tickets and schedule.

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